J's Rays in the Post Season!

Jason and I went to a couple of the last Orioles games this season because:

• they were playing the Rays;
• we would get to see a TRUE double-header;
• we would see the RAY-HAWK in person;
  
• the Rays would possibly clinch the AL East.

Unfortunately, it took the Rays a couple more days to clinch the AL East, but we had a great time seeing the Rays win the games that we saw. (Yes, I, the lifetime O's fan, wore Rays gear to the game. I did have an O's shirt on under the Rays one though...can't let my boys in orange down!)Since the ALDS started, we've been watching the Rays on TV and they start off slowly, but always seem to pull it out in the end. Jason's mom and step dad purchased t-shirts for us-we've been wearing them when the Rays play. BUT, today, Jason has a tough decision to make. The Rays play at 4pm and so do his beloved Buccaneers. Who knows which shirt he'll be wearing today!

Kansas City

Two weekends ago, Jason and I traveled to KC to see the Orioles take on the Royals. On Friday, we got to see American Idol Contestant, David Cook, throw out the first pitch and sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". (Easier to take pics on the jumbo tron than on the field...looks too teeny tiny.)
We also went to the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Museum. The Negro Leagues Museum was self guided and had a ton of artifacts. I learned a lot!
We ate plenty of KC BBQ! We went to the big three: Arthur Bryant's, Jack Stacks and Gates. All were different and all were yummy! Gates had a stand at the ball park and served seasoned chips-sort of like crab chips, but the seasoning was HOT! (Those were my favorites!)

We also went to the Hallmark Visitor's Center, the College Basketball experience (Jason and I were never bball players and never will be!), the Truman Library (my first presidential library!) and the World War I Memorial and Museum. The WWI Museum was excellent-had multiple time lines, artifacts, hands on activities, actual trenches and many videos to see. The best part for me was walking over the glass bridge looking down on all the red poppies. Each poppy represented a specific number of deaths in WWI. Amazing.
(The museum is under the monument-sort of like the museum under the St. Louis Arch, but more like the Civil War Museum in Madrid, Spain. The tower has been in KC since not long after the war and one can go up in it-elevator ride then 45 steps to climb.)

We enjoyed our trip-there was a lot to do, but not too much. Even though the city wasn't busy on the weekend, it wasn't like Cleveland where the carpet got rolled up at 5pm Friday and laid back down again at 9am Monday.

Yarny Goodness

Maryland Sheep & Wool was great! My knitting buddy, Knitea, mentioned that we seemed to be going more quickly through the booths this year than last. I agreed with her. I think we weren't as overwhelmed (last year was our first year going) and knew which vendors we wanted to look at first and even found a few new ones. I didn't purchase as much yarn as last year, but I did get three skeins of sock yarn-1 from Brooks Farm (acero) and 2 from Maple Creek Farm. I also succumbed to peer pressure and bought a drop spindle to spin some of my own yarny goodness. This purchase also required me to buy some roving so that I could spin some yarn! The roving that I bought is a blend of blues (surprise!) with some other colors as well. I bought this particular roving because I would like to ply it with some other fiber that I already have-from a blog contest that I won in the Fall. (Pictures will be coming shortly...)

We're off to Kansas City tonight for a mini vacation. Of course the mini vacation is centered around our national pastime-baseball! Hopefully the O's will win a game while we're there! (I'm keeping my fingers crossed!)

Can you say Omazing?!?!

Yes, I did say "O"mazing!

The Orioles (as of this afternoon) have the BEST record in major league baseball.

No, this is no April Fool's joke. The team that Baseball Prospectus said was "the worst team in baseball" is not only first in their division but the entire league.

My team has been generating hits and runs out of no where. I think that the most amazing thing is that 5 of their 6 wins have been come from behind wins. Yesterday against the Mariners, all the runs came in the bottom of the 9th!

Have I "jumped" to some alternate universe? I sure hope not! I could get used to this!

GO O's!

Latest Installment of YP's Booty Club

Because last week was so hectic and I have just (sort of) caught up to this week, I failed to mention that I received the latest (October) package of the Booty Club. This month, the package contained 2 sets of circular needles in hot pink for making socks and the newest colorway: Killer Bees. As I mentioned earlier, this week has been crazy too! I've been grading papers like a mad woman (trying not to pull her hair out) and being observed by our subject administrator (an assistant principal at the school). Of course he was coming to see my least behaved class-the one with ALL the trouble makers in it! They were awesome-all the trouble makers thought he was there to observe them! HA! The AP couldn't stay for the entire lesson (meeting to go to) but before he left he pulled me to the side and asked me to think about how I get these kids who drive others crazy to do their work and follow along during the lesson. WOW! That is a HUGE compliment...I just treat them like human beings, talk to them (not yell-that gets us no where) and hold them to high expectations. In other words, I treat them like the adults that they are trying so hard to be. Enough talk about work...

My favorite time of year...the weather is getting chilly, the leaves are falling and the World Series is on! Unfortunately, I didn't make it past the first inning last night (too exhausted-lack o'sleep) but from the outcome, I didn't miss anything. I dislike the Red Sox. Yes, it is because they are in the same division as my beloved Orioles. They play well and who knows what motivates them! But I am still rooting for the Rockies...and keeping my fingers crossed!

Opening Day...

...of BASEBALL!

I love the sport. I just can't get enough of it. Even when my favorite/hometown team, The Orioles, aren't doing so well. Tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins was downright pathetic! Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Plus, they haven't played in Baltimore yet...April 9th! Jason and I will be there sporting the orange and black.

Just a bit of FYI...

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!!